Tirunelveli: Efforts to save environment not enough

Tirunelveli residents not satisfied with Corporation’s measures, says survey conducted by college students

Many concerned over pollution of Tamirabharani

Plastic ban from January 1 has reached a majority

TIRUNELVELI: Most of the residents of Tirunelveli Corporation are totally unhappy with the contribution of the local body towards improving the degrading environment of the city, according to a survey conducted by the students of Visual Communication Department of St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai.

“Sixty-seven per cent of the 3,000 public, who were contacted for this survey on ‘Environment of Tirunelveli’, have expressed dissatisfaction over the Corporation’s attitude on improving the milieu and over 91 per cent of the people have opined that the roads within the Corporation limits are in a bad shape,” said Rev. Fr. Alphonse Manickam SJ, principal, St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, while releasing the findings of the survey here on Tuesday.

With the objective of getting the public opinion on environmental pollution by various factors, a total of 51 students met 3,000 persons from KTC Nagar, Melapalayam, Shanthi Nagar, Pettai, Suththamalli, Tirunelveli Town, Samathanapuram, Anbu Nagar, Sindhupoondurai, Meenaksipuram, Vannarpet, Palayamkottai Market, Rajendra Nagar, Koripallam and Kokkirakulam, who all agree that air pollution was more than other kinds such as water and land pollution.

Another interesting feature of this survey is that Collector M. Jayaraman’s announcement on the ban to be enforced on the polythene bags below 20 micron from January 1, 2010 has reached most of the people (74 per cent), who agree that plastic waste irreparably harm the environment.

Some of the people contacted for this survey themselves are victims of burning of plastic waste in their surroundings.

More than 86 per cent have expressed concern over the pollution of the perennial Tamirabharani owing to dumping of garbage, debris, discharge of industrial and domestic effluents, etc.

Only creation of awareness among the public, stringent enforcement of law, serious steps by the Corporation, ban on non-recyclable plastic products, growing of more trees, saving Tamirabharani from being polluted, etc., alone would improve the environment, people participated in the survey have said.

“We’ve decided to handover our students’ findings to the Collector and the Corporation administration for executing appropriate remedial measures,” said Rev. Dr. Alphonse Manickam.

Vice-Principal, SXC, Rev. Fr. Danis Ponniah SJ, Head, Department of Visual Communication, Rev. Fr. Xavier Antony SJ, Prof. Shanthi, Department of Visual Communications were present.

From THE HINDU